Spool or bobbin.



No. 678,540. Patented July [6, Will.

. H. E.'BHASE.

SPOOL 0R BOBBIN.

(Application filed May 24, 1899.)

(m We.

UNlTlED STaTns PATENT HENRY E. CHASE, OF CAMBRIDGE, hlASSAOllUSETTS.

SPQOL. OR BOBBEN.

@PElZiIFIGATION forming part of Letters Tatent No. 678,540, dated July16, 1901. Application filed May 24,1899. semis. 718,111. (roman) To allwhom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. CHASE, of Cambridge, county of Middlesex,State of Mas sachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Spools orBobbins, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letterson the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel bobbin orholder for dental floss-silk, the construction being such that a lengthof the silk floss can be drawn from the bobbin or holder and clamped toprevent further unwinding, and while in this condition the bobbin orholder may serve as a convenient handle for moving the silk floss backand forth between the teeth. The construction is, further, such thatwhen a length of floss-silk has been thus used it may be cut at a pointin its length a distance from the point of clamping, thus leaving thesilk held firmly by the clamp, with its end hanging convenientlyaccessible whenit is again desired to pull off another length of silk.

The invention to be hereinafter described is especially valuable for usein the removal of obstructions between the teeth and also by dental andother surgeons; but the invention is not limited to its particular usefor bolding waxed floss or the purpose to which the floss or thread isput.

Figure 1, in side elevation, represents a spool or bobbin having thefloss or thread held in one of its notches, the end hanging down readilyaccessible to the user. Fig. 2 shows another View of the spool or bobbinwith the floss or thread in position to be strained and cut. Fig. 3 is across-section of Fig. 2 in the dotted line 00. Fig. 3 shows the barreldetached, and Fig. 4; shows a modified form of spool or bobbin.

As herein represented, my improved spool or bobbin is composed of twometallic disks a Z), concavo-convex in shape for nearly their entirediameter, the edges of the disks being curved outwardly, as at a b, toafford ready entrance into the larger space of the bobbin.

These disks are united, as herein repre sented, by a barrel or eyelet,as 0, (shown detached in Fig. 3 said barrel having two shoulders whichreceive against them the inner sides of the disks a b, the outer end ofthe barrel being thereafter expanded or flanged outwardly to firmly seatthe disks upon the barrel. The silk, floss, or other thread cl is shownwound upon the barrel between the disks in Fig. 3. In the use of thesedisks the end d of the waxed floss or thread (see Fig. 1) hangs normallyat the side of the disk b, and a part of the floss or thread back ofsaid free end is confined in the notch 13, made, as represented, in theperiphery of said disk I). The user of this spool or bobbin beingdesirous of drawing off from the same a certain quantity of floss orthread will engage the free end cZ thereof and pull the floss or threadout of the notch b and then pull off from the bobbin the necessary ordesired amount of floss or thread. This done the user will draw thefloss or thread again into the notch b and while yet holding the flossor thread under strain in one hand and the spool or bobbin in the otherhand will insert the silk between the teeth and move it back and forthin a manner well understood,after which he will further draw a part ofthe thread against a cutting member of the spool or bobbin. This cuttingmember in Figs. 1 and 2 is represented as a notch b and the floss orthread having been drawn into said cuttingnotch b will thereafter bepulled at a tangent, as represented in Fig. 2, and sufficient strainwill be exerted on said floss or thread to part or cut it at the cuttingportion Z1 leaving, it may be, the end of the thread at that point, orby a slight movement of the finger the end of the thread extending fromone to the other notch referred to may be detached from the cuttingmember and allowed to drop, as represented in Fig. l. The notch Z9 formsa very elflcient cutting member; but this in vention is not in all caseslimited to the par ticular construction shown for the said cut tingmember, and instead the disk I) might be subjected to the action of apunch to throw out from one side of it a cuttingprojection e, and thethread to be cut might be drawn as represented in Fig. 4, said figureshowing the notch 72, fully described in Figs. 1 and 2.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Pat ent, is-

1. Aspool consisting oftwo disks outwardly bulged at their centralportions to afford a space for thread or floss between them, and eachhaving outwardly curved peripheral edges, an eyelet uniting said disks,one of said disks having a thread-holding notch in the outwardly-curvededge and a thread cutter.

2. A spool consisting of two disks, each disk having its central portionand peripheral edges bulged outwardly, means to unite the diskscentrally thereof, one of said disks hav- IO ing a thread-cutting lipturned outwardly from its side and integral therewith, and athread-holding notch in the outwardly-curved edge of said disk.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of I5 two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY E. CHASE; Witnessesi I GEO. W. GREGORY,

AUGUSTA E. DEAN.

